The New Station Commander

The New Station Commander
Joel’s phone buzzed on the steel table, the faint sound slicing through the quiet morgue like a blade. He picked it up, squinting at the screen. His brows furrowed as he read the message.
“The new boss wants a meeting,” Joel said, looking at Alisha and Sam.
Sam exhaled slowly and nodded. “Perfect timing, huh? Right when we need to focus on Archie’s death.”
Alisha grabbed her bag, though her mind was still burning with questions. “Fine. Let’s go. Whoever this new boss is, we can’t afford to be on their bad side. Not right now.”
The three of them left the morgue behind, the faint smell of antiseptic still clinging to their clothes. The city felt colder than usual as they drove back to the ABC News station, as if the streets themselves knew something sinister had just happened.
When they arrived, the newsroom was buzzing louder than usual. Reporters whispered to one another, glancing toward the glass conference room where a figure stood with arms crossed.
Alisha’s steps slowed when she saw her. The new boss was very young—almost Alisha’s age—and stood with an air of confidence that was both commanding and unnerving.
Joel leaned close, whispering under his breath. “Whoah. Our new boss is younger than we thought.”
Sam nodded, his expression unreadable. “And she doesn’t look like someone who likes mistakes.”
Alisha straightened her blazer and took a deep breath before stepping forward. She offered her hand politely. “Miss David, I’m Alisha Murphy. Welcome to ABC News.”
Keira David’s eyes flicked from Alisha’s hand to her face, then swept down and up again, as if silently judging her. She didn’t take the hand. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her dark eyes cold and sharp.
“So,” Keira said, her tone clipped and precise. “You’re the so-called popular reporter everyone keeps talking about.”
The other reporters fell silent, every pair of eyes now on Alisha.
Keira stepped closer, her heels clicking on the polished floor. “Tell me, Miss Murphy, why is it that the case you’ve been working on—the missing women—still has no conclusion? The network’s budget for this investigation is through the roof, and yet… no final results. No resolution. Just more questions. And now another dead body connected to your case.”
Alisha’s face heated under the weight of the public scolding. She could feel every stare, every judgmental whisper.
“I—I’m doing everything I can,” Alisha said, her voice carefully controlled. “These cases are complex. I believe we’re closer than ever to finding the truth.”
Keira’s lips curled into a tight, almost mocking smile. “Closer? Or just running in circles? Because from where I stand, it looks like you’re chasing shadows.”
Joel took a step forward, but Alisha gave him a quick shake of her head, silently telling him not to interfere.
Keira turned her back to them and addressed the entire room. “Everyone here should know—we’re tightening up our priorities. Dead-end investigations will not be draining this network anymore. If something doesn’t produce results, it’s cut. I don’t care who you are or how many awards you’ve won. Clear?”
The room murmured a nervous chorus of “yes, ma’am.”
Keira glanced over her shoulder, her gaze landing on Alisha once more. “I hope, Miss Murphy, that you won’t waste any more of our resources.”
Then she walked away, heels echoing like a metronome counting down something inevitable.
Alisha stood frozen for a moment before walking toward her desk. She felt humiliated, but more than that, she felt a strange chill creeping up her spine.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Joel said softly, leaning close. “She’s new. She wants to show she’s tough.”
Sam crossed his arms. “Tough? She practically put a target on your back in front of the whole newsroom.”
Alisha sat down heavily, staring at the files on her desk. The faces of the missing women stared back at her from the photographs, each pair of eyes like an accusation.
“She’s wrong,” Alisha said quietly, almost to herself. “This case matters. Aubrey matters. And I’m not stopping until we find her.”
But even as she said it, she couldn’t shake the strange feeling Keira’s words had left her with.
Later that night, after most of the reporters had gone home, Alisha remained in the newsroom, going through every clue they had. The office was too quiet. Every creak of the building made her flinch.
Joel and Sam had left hours ago, promising to meet her early in the morning. She was alone now—except for the reflection in the glass wall across from her.
She froze.
The reflection showed a figure standing behind her.
She spun around—nothing.
Her heart thudded in her chest as she turned back to the glass. The reflection was gone.
Alisha grabbed her bag and hurried toward the elevator, but as she passed the dark conference room, her phone buzzed with a new message.
Unknown number.
She unlocked it with shaking fingers.
“You’re running out of time, Miss Murphy. She’s closer than you think.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
And then—
A loud, slow creak came from the empty conference room.
The door, which had been wide open all day, was now closing on its own.
Alisha backed away, her pulse pounding in her ears, but her phone buzzed again.
Another message:
“Don’t look behind you.”
She didn’t want to. But she could feel it—the heavy, suffocating presence of someone standing just inches away.